For Obama, 2015 Was a Mixed Year in Foreign Policy

For the Obama administration, 2015 brought ups and downs in foreign policy: There were historic accomplishments such as the Iran nuclear deal and the diplomatic opening with Cuba. But efforts to deal with terrorist threats and autocrats trying to shake up the global order remain incomplete.

The administration has been playing catchup since 2013, when its foreign policy coasted for a year on the president’s reelection talking points of killing Osama bin Laden and decimating core al Qaeda. It made several unforced errors that year, including ignoring when President Barack Obama‘s “red line” of chemical weapons use was crossed in Syria. It also did not pay sufficient attention to emerging challenges from Russia, China, and Islamic State.